This invention relates to simulation and other virtual settings and more particularly to communicating data from virtual setting into real-time devices.
Gaming devices are well known. Gaming can be viewed as a form of simulation. The early versions of games in a gaming device attached to a television monitor or played on a personal computer consisted of simple games like ‘pong’ in which a player played against the computer. As more powerful processors became available in personal computers, games having more complex features were developed. These games permitted participation by multiple players for example.
The more powerful processors also enabled the use of graphics within the games. Graphics provide a more elaborate and lifelike background or user interface. Participants in some computer games or simulated sporting events (such as boxing for example) may be represented by a graphical representation so that a participant's action can be replicated or presented on the display. The effect of one participant's action on another participant may similarly be displayed. As a result, the gaming experience has become more realistic and personal.
The advent of networks has added another dimension to the gaming experience. It is now possible for participants at different physical locations to engage in a game over a network such as the interne for example. Thus, there is no longer a geographic limitation to the participant's location—they can be in the next room or on another continent.
Games (or other type of simulation programs) for execution on a computing device are developed or created and implemented as executable code on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may be a compact disc for example. The various scenarios encountered in a game are preprogrammed or programmed to respond in a pre-defined way to a particular action by a participant.
As the line that separates the virtual world from the real world continues to blur with enhanced technology, there has arisen a need to facilitate communication of data between these two settings.